Fire-hydrant.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

R. M. PRINGLB. FIRE HYDRANT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1905.

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5%}: a a2 \0 v 14- 5 as mven tor". Robert M. Prmga BY/i W YQMJM PATENTEDMAY 22, 1906.

R. M. PRINGLE.

FIRE HYDRANT.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 10, 1905.

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mmw mu UNITED s'rnrns PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. PRINGLE, OF ST. LOUIS. MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO COREY ESTATECOMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

FIRE-HYDRANT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. PRINGLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Fire-Hydrants, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a vertical sectional View of my improved fire-hydrant. Fig.2 is a similar view showing the main valve open. Fig. 3

is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 1, showing thedrain-valve. Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4 4, Fig. '3. Fig. 5

is a detail view of the drain-valve yoke.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the bearing-block on the lower end of thevalve-operating rod, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the socket-piece inwhich the valve-operating rod is mounted.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in fire-hydrants,and particularly to the operating mechanism of the main valve and thedrain-valve.

The objects of the present invention are to construct the device so thatthe main and drain valves can be inserted and removed through the top ofthe stand-pipe without taking said stand-pipe from the ground and tosimplify the construction and reduce the number of parts, so that thereis little liability of said parts getting out of order.

With these objects-in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all aswill hereinafter be described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the stand-pipe, which may be of usualconstruction, the upper portion of which is designed to stand above theground, while the lower barrel or portion of which is designed to beburied in the ground below the frost-line.

2 is a threaded boss on the exposed portion if the stand-pipe for theattachment of fireose.

3 is a valve-operating rod which extends through the cap-piece of thestand-pipe and is made non-circular in cross-section, whereby said rodmaybe rotated on the applica- 6 indicates the socket-piece arranged in vthe lower end of the valve-operating rod, said socket-piece fittingwithin the upper end of the barrel 7, containing the drain-valvehereinafter described. This barrel 7, as shown in Fig. 3, is secured inposition in the bottom of the stand-pipe and the cap-piece 6 looselyfitted in the upper end thereof, said cappiece, however, having arearward extension fitting against the back wall of the stand-pipe,whereby said cap-piece is prevented from turning.

The valve-operating rod is provided with three threaded portions, two ofwhich are similarly pitched, but in opposite directions, these beinguseful in manipulating the main valve, while the third threaded portionis of less pitch and is located near the lower extremity of thevalve-operating rod, this third threaded portion being useful foroperating the drain-valve. For convenience I will designate the threadedportions of the rod above referred to as a, b, and a, respectively.

8 indicates nuts which are mounted on the threaded portions a and b ofthe valve-operating rod, said nuts having rearward extensions tocooperate with the back wall of the stand-pipe, so as to take the straintransmitted to said nuts when the valve is seated from thevalve-operating rod. The oppositesides of nuts 8 are provided with lugsor cars to which are pivotally connected links 9, the opposite ends ofsaid links being pivotally con nected to the main valve 10. Valve 10cooperates with a valve-seat arranged in the stand pipe, said valve whenclosed closing communication between the water-main and the stand-pipe,as shown in Fig. 1. When the valve is open, as shown in Fig. 2, watermay enter the stand-pipe from the main.

Links 9 are connected together on opposite sides of the pivotal pointsof their connection to the main valve by a link 11, the function ofwhich link 11 is to maintain the main valve in its vertical positionduring its movement to and from its seat. Link 11 thus dispenses withguideways in the side Walls of the stand-pipe, which have heretoforebeen used for maintaining the main valve in vertical position in oneform of h drants with which I am familiar, and said ink also dispenseswith a plurality of links connected at difierent points to the nuts andto the main valvesay, for instance, four links-in another'form of valvewith which I am familiar.

In 0 eration it is only necessary to rotate the r0 3, say, to the rightwhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the main valvewill be moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 and establishcommunication between the main and stand-pipe. To close the main valve,it is only necessary to rotate the valve operating rod 3 in the oppositedirection, or to the left. The rotation of the operatingrod to open andclose the main valve also effects the closing and opening of thedrainvalve, as follows: 12 indicates a yoke whose upper portion isthreaded so as to cooperate with the threaded portion 0 of thevalve-ope'rating rod. The side members of this yoke extend down on eachside of the socket-bear- 'ing 6, which is cut away to receive the saidyoke members, as shown in Fig. 7, the yoke members being connected attheir lower ends, as shown in Fig. 3, and having a threaded extension onwhich the drain-valve 13 is secured. This drain-valve may be made ofrubber or other suitable material and cupshaped, if desired, as is wellknown. The barrel 7, in which the drain-valve operates, is preferablyformed with a bore of uniform diameter throughout its length, into theupper end of which are seated the depending flanges of the socket-piece6, the laterally-extending flanges of said socket-piece extending overthe edges of the barrel, so as to aiford a firm support for thevalve-operating rod. Drain-openings '14 lead from the interior of thestand-pipe into the upper portion of the barrel 7, as shown.

15 indicates an annular groove formed in the bore of the barrel 7,beneath which groove are formed longitudinally-disposed channels 16.

In assembling the parts the yoke of the drain-valve is first screwedonto the valve- 0 crating rod, after which the cap-piece is s ipped intothe yoke and the bearing-block on the end of the valve-operating rodintroduced into its receiving-socket. The valveoperating rod, with itsmain valve and drainvalve in the position shown in Fig. 2, may then beintroduced into the stand-pipe, the drain-valve being inserted into itsbarrel and the cap-piece adjusted upon the upper end of the barrel, whenthe parts are ready for operation, the cap of the stand -pipe being ofcourse secured in position. When the main valve is forced to its seat,the drain-valve descends to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to wit,below the groove 15-so that any water remaining in the stand-pipe mayescape through the openings 14 into the barrel of the drain-valve andfrom said barrel through the grooves 15 and 16 to the exterior. When themain valve is opened and the water enters the stand-pipe from the main,the drain-valve 13 is caused to rise above the groove-14, as

shown in Fig. 2, and shut off communication between the drain-openingsof the stand-pipe and the exterior.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the several parts of my hydrant may be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-hydrant, the combination with a stand-pipe and itsvalve-seat, of a main valve, a valve-operating rod provided withoppositely-pitched threaded portions, nuts cooperating with saidthreaded portions, links pivotally connected to said nuts and to saidmain valve, and an independent connection between said links wherebysaid links are caused to approach each other to nearly parallelism, whenthe main valve is seated; substantially as described.

2. In a fire-hydrant, the combination with a standpipe and itsvalve-seat, of a main valve, a valve-operating rod provided withoppositely-pitched threaded portions, nuts cooperating with saidthreaded portions, links pivotally connected to said nuts and to saidmain valve, and a link 11 pivotally connected to said first-mentionedlinks on opposite sides of the pivotal points of connection of saidfirstmentioned links to the main valve 3 substantially as described.

3. In a main-valve-operating mechanismfor fire-hydrants, the combinationwith a valve-operating rod provided with two oppositely-pitched threadedportions, of a nut on each of said threaded portions, a main valve,

.a link extending from each nut and pivotally connected thereto and tothe main valve, and a link cooperating with said links for maintainingthe main valve in a vertical plane in its different adjusted positions;substantially as described.

4. In a fire-hydrant, the combination with a stand-pipe and itsvalve-seat, of a main valve, a valve-operating rod, a barrel for adrain-va1ve arranged in the lower portion of the stand-pipe, said barrelhaving interior longitudinally-disposed grooves in one of its signature,in the presence of tWo Witnesses, 7

ends, and a drain-valve connected todand opthis 5th day of July, 1905.erated by said operating-rod sai drainvalve in its movement passing theinner ter- ROBERT PRINGLE' mini of said grooves; substantially as de-Witnesses: scribed. F. R. CORNWALL,

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my i GEORGE BAKEWELL.

